Described herein are improved cold brew beverage brewing systems and, more specifically, improved cold brew beverage brewing systems for producing soluble beverage (e.g. coffee) extract using cold brew infusion that include a brew chamber, an extract chamber, and a centerpiece connector therebetween.
Apparatuses for brewing coffee are well known. Coffee is customarily drip-brewed using heated water. Water is heated in a vessel, and then poured over a container of ground coffee. As the water mingles with the grounds, a coffee extract is produced that drips through a filter into a coffee pot or cup. Also known are machines that automatically heat water and brew coffee in one self-contained device.
Although coffee is traditionally brewed in hot or boiling water, it is also possible to cold brew coffee. A preference for cold brewed coffee has developed, principally due to its flavor. Since many of the bitter oils and acids contained in coffee are soluble only at high temperature, coffee brewed with hot or boiling water can be characterized by a harsh acidic taste. Cold brewed coffee avoids this problem. As the preference for cold brewed coffee has grown, several developments in the cold brew process have been made.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,264 to Sanderson discloses a process for obtaining a cold water extract from tea leaves. The process involves treating fresh green tea leaves with an enzyme additive to produce dry tea leaves that are cold water extractable. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,918 to Pulikkottil discloses a method of processing green tea leaves to produce black tea particles that can be brewed in cold water.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,746 discloses a cold water coffee brewer having a large canister into which coffee grounds are placed and through which cold water is circulated. The '746 device is designed to infuse cold water with coffee. The '746 device achieves the infusion through a drip mechanism by forcing the aqueous solution up through a pipe and onto a series of foraminous shelves. U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,830 discloses a device that uses cold water to obtain an extraction that is complex and difficult to clean.